Method of making a product having a concealed message

Claim 2

A process for manufacturing a flexible sheet product having a concealed message suitable for wagering, promotional and novelty applications, comprising the steps of: (A) providing a flexible non-metallic sheet having a pair of substantially planar opposed outer surfaces and ink visibly disposed on one of the outer surfaces in a first pattern; (B) temporarily supporting the other of the outer surfaces on a rigid substrate while laminating a non-metallic transparent film onto at least a portion of the inked outer surface, the first pattern being visible through the film, the film being secured to the ink on the outer surface portion in selected differently adherent patterns to form a product in which removal of the film from the inked outer surface portion also removes the ink in one of the selected patterns to reveal a desired second pattern of deinked outer surface and thereby render visible the previously concealed message; and (C) removing the substrate.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 additionally including the step of applying a transparent heat-sealable coating layer uniformly intermediate the ink and the film prior to lamination.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein the sheet outer surface comprises a layer, the ink comprises a layer, and the film comprises a layer, and additionally including the step prior to lamination of applying a release coating layer defining a pattern of release coating intermediate a pair of the other layers to cause the differential adhesion of the selected differentially adherent patterns.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3 wherein the release coating layer is applied intermediate the outer surface and ink layers, and additionally including the steps of applying a transparent heat-sealable coating layer uniformly intermediate the ink layer and the film layer prior to lamination and bonding the heat-sealable coating layer to an underlying portion of the ink layer and an overlying portion of the film layer.

Claim 6

The process of claim 4 wherein the bonding of the heat-sealable coating layer is effected at least in part during lamination.

Claim 7

The process of claim 3 additionally including the step of applying a transparent heat-sealable coating layer uniformly intermediate the ink layer and the adjacent overlying one of the film layer and the release coating layer prior to lamination.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein the laminating of the transparent film onto at least a portion of the inked outer surface does not appreciably laminate the transparent film onto the other of the outer surfaces.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1 wherein ink is visibly disposed on each of the outer surfaces in a first pattern, and including the additional step after lamination of temporarily supporting the one inked outer surface on a rigid substrate while laminating a second transparent film onto at least a portion of the other of the inked outer surfaces, the second film being secured to the ink on the other outer surface portion in selected differentially adherent patterns to form the product, the first patterns being visible through the first and second films, thereby to define a product wherein a first transparent film overlies at least a portion of the one inked outer surface without appreciably overlying the other of the inked outer surfaces, and a second transparent film overlies at least a portion of the other of the inked outer surfaces without appreciably overlying the one inked outer surface.

Claim 10

The process of claim 1 wherein lamination is effected with heat and pressure.

Claim 11

The process of claim 1 wherein the first pattern comprises a message different from the concealed message.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1 wherein the product is a wagering card representing a given wager variable, the first pattern is not related to the variable, and the second pattern differs from the first pattern and is related to the variable.

Claim 13

The process of claim 1 wherein the product is a promotional piece, the first pattern is a first advertisement, and the second pattern is a second advertisement different from the first advertisement.

Claim 14

The process of claim 1 wherein the inked sheet is supported and laminated to the film by passing the inked sheet and the film through the nip of a pair of substantially non-conforming rollers.

Claim 15

The process of claim 13 wherein at least one of the pair of rollers is heated, and the film is pre-heated by contact with such heated roller immediately prior to lamination to the inked sheet.

Claim 16

The process of claim 14 wherein the heated roller is embossed so as to impart a texture to the film of the laminate.

Claim 17

The process of claim 2 wherein the heat-sealable coating layer is of sufficient thickness to permit substantial flexing of the product without delamination.

Claim 18

A process for manufacturing a flexible sheet product having a concealed message suitable for wagering, promotional and novelty applications, comprising the steps of: (A) providing a flexible non-metallic sheet having a pair of substantially planar opposed outlet surfaces and ink visibly disposed on one of said outer surfaces in a first pattern and providing a transparent non-metallic film; (B) passing the inked sheet and the film through the nip of a pair of substantially non-conforming rollers to temporarily support the other of the outer surfaces on a rigid substrate while laminating with heat and pressure the film onto at least a portion of the inked outer surface without appreciably laminating the film onto the other of the outer surfaces, the film being secured to the ink on the outer surface portion in selected differently adherent patterns to form the product, the first pattern being visible through the film, at least one of the pair of rollers being heated, the film being pre-heated by contact with such heated roller immediately prior to lamination to the inked sheet, the heated roller also being embossed so as to impart a texture to the film of the laminate; and (C) removing the substrate; whereby in the product removal of the film from the inked outer surface portion also removes the ink in one of the selected patterns to reveal a desired second pattern of deinked outer surface and thereby render visible the previously concealed message, the first pattern comprising a message different from the concealed message.

Claim 19

A process for manufacturing a flexible sheet product having a concealed message suitable for wagering, promotional and novelty applications, comprising the steps of: (A) providing a flexible non-metallic sheet having a pair of substantially planar opposed outlet surfaces and ink visibly disposed on one of said outer surfaces in a first pattern and providing a transparent non-metallic film; (B) passing the inked sheet and the film through the nip of a pair of substantially non-conforming rollers to temporarily support the other of the outer surfaces on a rigid substrate while laminating with heat and pressure the film onto at least a portion of the inked outer surface without appreciably laminating the film onto the other of the outer surfaces, the film being secured to the ink on the outer surface portion in selected differently adherent patterns to form the product, the first pattern being visible through the film, at least one of the pair of rollers being heated, the film being pre-heated by contact with such heated roller immediately prior to lamination to the inked sheet, the heated roller also being embossed so as to impart a texture to the film of the laminate; and (C) removing the substrate; whereby in the product removal of the film from the inked outer surface portion also removes the ink in one of the selected patterns to reveal a desired second pattern of deinked outer surface and thereby render visible the previously concealed message, the first pattern comprising a message different from the concealed message.